TRAINERS- 1 Part Red
by Abi
Summary: This one's for the Oak fans...new faces...a bit of jealousy..some denied romance...some confessed...humor..


**__**

-TRAINERS-

PART RED

"Okay, Professor! I'm done!" Ira threw off his lab gloves, eager to get out of the lab. It was Friday night, and paycheck time.

"Oh, good, Ira." Professor Oak handed him a folded piece of paper. Ira's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Professor! See you Monday!" Ira grabbed the check and rushed out the lab door. A familiar kid with spiky hair was leaning on the fence.

"Yo, Gary! Gary!" Ira waved the check in the air. "I've got money! Let's go do something!"

"Hey Ira! What's up?" Gary high-fived his best friend. "I guess I should be training for the Pokémon League, but I just did...my Nidoking will kick Ash's Pokémon sky-high! Ha, that twerp's coming back tomorrow, we should think of something really vicious to do to him."

Ira rolled his eyes. "I hate that kid."

"Me too. Not only does he think he's a better trainer than me, he thinks he can take my sister too." Gary nodded his head to a nearby sidewalk, where his sister May and her best friend Crysta were having a giggling gossip-fest.

Ira clenched his teeth. "I hate Crysta."

"I know. I do too. She's a total ditz." Gary crossed his arms. "She's not bad looking, but as I said before, she's a total ditz."

"I know what you mean." Ira braced himself for one of Crysta's snobbish comments as she walked by, her red hair flip-flopping in the wind and her Jigglypuff in her arms. May and Crysta stopped at the boys. "Hey Gary, hey Ira," May said in a friendly tone. "Ash is coming back tomorrow, did you hear?"

"Unfortunately," Gary muttered.

"Oh come on, be nice." May looked like she was ready to smack her brother. "Ash is a cool kid, and you know it."

Now even Crysta gave her a weird look. "At least I don't fall for little boys," she smirked.

"Shut up, Crysta."

Crysta grinned a devilish grin. "How are you, Ira?"

"Go to hell," Ira muttered.

"What was that?"

"You heard me." 

May gave Gary a look that clearly asked, What's up with them? Gary shrugged. 

"So you think you're going to be a great Pokémon trainer, do you, Crysta?" Ira shot at her.

"Yes I do."

"All you have is an ugly Jigglypuff...you're 13 years old and you don't even have a Pokémon license, ha!" Jigglypuff was clearly offended. "Jiggggly puff puff!" 

"Well, Ira, what do YOU have then?" Crysta demanded.

Ira grinned. A chance to show off his variety. He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out four Pokéballs. "I happen to have a Gloom, a Bulbasaur, a Weepinbell, and an Exeggcutor." Crysta blinked her eyes. He had more than she thought. Ira looked pretty proud of himself. "I caught them all with good old Bulbasaur here. I specialize in grass types."

"Well, aren't you just the happy little show-off?" Crystal rolled her eyes.

"You're just jealous."

May grabbed Crysta's arm. "Come on, Crysta, let's go get something to eat."

Crysta glared at Ira. "Okay, May."

As the two girls walked away, Gary leaned on the fence. "Where do you know Crysta from, Ira?" he asked.

"When I was just a little kid, she used to live next door to me. She tortured me, I tell you! She threw eggs at my window, and let frogs in my house, and one time I was even forced to be babysat by her mother. I had to stay at her house!" Ira squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, the horror."

"How come she hates you so much?"

"Well, I, ah, used to do the same things to her...and then we went to school together, and she used to embarrass me around my friends, and stick gum in my locker...thank God I'm not in school anymore. It was a living hell!" 

Ira continued his story. "I never have liked her. My mother always thought she was such a doll, so cute and elegant and graceful. I thanked God when she moved to the country."

Gary nodded. "I see..." He got a mischievious look in his eye. "I don't know, Ira, it looks like sort of a crush to me-"

"Shut up, Gary, you know that's not it."

"Okay, fine."

Ira looked toward the bright sun. The day was beautiful. It was summer, and the sky was clear and everything was green. "Hey, Gary, do you wanna battle? I have to give my Pokémon some experience."

Gary grinned. "Okay." He pulled out a Pokéball. "One on one." He kissed his Pokéball and threw it out. "Arcanine, go!"

Ira threw a Pokéball to the ground. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

"Arcanine, fire spin!"

"Bulbasaur, agility! Dodge it!"

Arcanine ran around shooting flames at Bulbasaur, who kept dodging them. "Bulbasaur, vine whip attack, now!" Bulbasaur's vines shot out at Arcanine, who blasted them away with an ember attack. Bulbasaur fainted.

"Bulbasaur, return." Ira called back his Pokémon.

"It's really not a bad Pokémon, Ira," Gary said, obviously pleased with himself. "But you know, I AM in the Jolt League and everything. So don't feel too bad."

"All right." 

"Let's go get a burger."

"Okay."

~

"Uh oh, better not look now, Crysta. Look who's coming." May pointed out the window of Bulbasaur's Burger Garden. 

Crysta smacked her hand to her forehead. "Ugh."

"I'm going to ignore them, how 'bout you?"

"That's plenty okay with me!" Crysta grabbed a handful of french fries. "Wait a minute, I've got a better idea. Hey May, do you want to, ah...I don't know how to say this...perform some espionage?"

"How?"

"Okay, we hide until they sit themselves in a booth. Then we can sneak up behind them and listen to their conversations!"

May was usually a nice girl, and she didn't like to pry in anyone's personal affairs (unlike Gary) but she thought this would be interesting. "Okay, let's do it!"

Gary and Ira sat themselves in a booth, not noticing the two girls who were crouched in the booth behind them. 

"And so," continued Ira. "I'm going to live in the Nirvana Islands in a few years, and I'm going to discover new Pokémon and fulfill my dream of catching every Pokémon ever made!" Crysta's eyes widened. Wait a minute, that's MY dream...she thought to herself.

"That's cool. I can't wait till I kick Ash's ass in the Pokémon League and become a Master Trainer." Gary laughed. "That kid doesn't know what he's got coming."

May's eyes narrowed. "Dammit, Gary..." she muttered.

Suddenly, the restaurant door swung open. A kid of about twelve walked through the doors. He had on a blue jacket, a gringy hat, and had a tan complexion. May completely forgot about her Charlie's Angel's status, and jumped up. "Hey Ash!" she yelled.

"May!" 

Crysta rolled her eyes. May had blown their cover.

May hugged Ash. "I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow!"

"Change of plans."

"I'll buy you a burger!"

Crysta slumped into the booth. Not only had May blown their cover, she blew her off too. Ira turned around. "What were you girls doing, spying on us?"

"Yeah," Crysta replied.

"What's the big idea?" implied Gary.

"We just felt like it, all right?" Crysta picked up her handbag and left the two boys and the two former, as she called them, "lovers". 

"Hey Ash!" Gary called out.

"Yeah?"

"What makes you think you're going to win next time we battle?"

"Did I say that?" Ash got up from his seat and clenched his fists.

"Yeah, you heard me." Gary smirked. "What makes you think you're so much less of a loser now, huh, Ashy-boy?"

Ash grinned. He flashed his badges at Gary, who had two less than him. "Hee hee hee."

"Oh, just shut up, would ya?" Gary narrowed his eyes.

"You wanna make me?"

Ira pounded his fists on the table and started the chant. Soon, the kids in the restaurant joined in. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Hey kids! Take this outside, would ya?" The manager of the restaurant stormed in, and a herd of kids followed Ash and Gary outside.

Ash pulled out a Pokéball. "I choose you, Squirtle!"

"Okay then, I'll choose...Nidoking!" Gary threw his Pokéball to the ground after kissing it twice.

"Squirtle, water gun attack!" 

"Squuuuuirt!" A gush of water came out and threw Gary's Nidoking off balance. The Nidoking was weakened, and fell to the ground.

"Finish it off with a skull bash!" Ash commanded Squirtle. The Nidoking flew into a nearby tree, and fainted.

"Impossible!" cried Gary. He sunk to his knees and held out his empty Pokéball. "Nidoking, return," he commanded half-heartedly. He hadn't lost a battle in a long time. But his Nidoking to a lousy Squirtle? Ash's Pokémon sure were good...

Crysta was watching from the mob. This kid wasn't taking her best friend away from her...not if SHE could help it. And poor Gary...Gary, she had to admit, was a weird, but in a twisted way, cool kid.

"Wait a minute, I wanna challenge you, Ash." Ira stepped up in front of Gary, holding out his Pokéballs. 

"Are you crazy, Ira?" cried Gary, still on his knees. "You can't even beat me!"

"I've changed my strategy."

Crysta, from the audience, smirked and crossed her arms. That Ira, he thought he could win. Stubborn kid.

"All right, then, I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash turned back his baseball cap and threw out his Bulbasaur.

Ira looked at the crowd and smirked. He didn't think they would expect what was coming next. And they didn't. "We'll just see who's trained their Pokémon better, Ash," Ira said. He posed his Pokéball throw by spinning around and tossing his Pokéball in the air. "I choose...Bulbasaur!" Ira's Bulbasaur and Ash's Bulbasaur stood face to face. The crowd gasped.

"...they're both using Bulbasaur..."

"...this is gonna be some match!"

"...Ash's Bulbasaur looks a little bigger than Ira's..."

Ira threw out his fist. "This time, I won't lose," he said confidently. "Bulbasaur, tackle attack, now!"

Ash glared. "Tackle it back, Bulbasaur!"

The two grass Pokémon lunged at each other. Ira's Bulbasaur tackled Ash's and its leech seed sucked up its energy. Ash's Bulbasaur was sprawled on the ground, fainted, and Ash was forced to call it back. "How could I lose?" Ash gripped his fists. "I'm close to becoming a Pokémon Master, and who beats me? Someone who doesn't even have a badge!"

"Oh, chill out, Ash," Ira rolled his eyes. "I've had this Bulbasaur for two and a half years. It's my most well-trained Pokémon. Don't feel too bad." Although Ira hated Ash, he was trying to possibly be a little decent to him for once.

"Shut up, Ira. Come on, May, let's go."

"You have such an attitude problem," said Ira.

Ash linked arms with May and ignored Ira, heading back into the restaurant. Gary's eyes narrowed viciously at Ash, and he came up with a cruel, vicious, but good, idea. "Hey Ash, how's the one red-headed chick? Misty, yeah, that's her name!" Gary snickered. This outta get May pretty pissed!

Ash stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to Gary. "Misty?"

"Yeah. I thought you two were-"

Ash blushed and played with the back of his hat. "Oh, ah, no, you got the wrong idea, Gary..."

"Oh yeah? I certainly noticed you two were getting pretty close, eh?" 

May stepped up. "Gary, I know what you're trying to do. I also know that Ash has no interest in Misty besides being friends...at least, I think." She turned to Ash.

Ash turned deep red. "I think I'll be going now..."

"Coward," muttered Gary.

"I'll see you later, May. Call me, okay?" 

May looked a little down. "I don't think so, Ash."

Ash nodded sadly. "Yeah, I get it, sure. Bye, May." He kissed her on the cheek and walked away, waving his hand and adjusting his hat. 

May smiled. "That kid deserves better than me."

"Misty isn't better than you, May," replied Gary, surprisingly sticking up for his sister.

~

Ash's sneakers pounded on the pavement. Are Gary and May actually right? Ash reached his house. He heard the WWF playing top-volume on TV. Tracey and Brock were probably scarfing potato chips and watching Stone Cold, and Misty was probably yelling at them. Ash grinned. Misty.

Ash opened the door. Sure enough, Tracey and Brock were eating pork rinds and watching wrestlers. Misty was perched on the top of the couch, looking extremely bored.

Okay, Ash, you have one chance to do this and the time is now.

"Okay, listen up." Ash shut off the TV. Tracey chucked a pork rind at him. "What the big idea, Ash?"

Ash ignored him. He took Misty's hand. "What-" she began.

Ash looked to the floor. "Misty, just tell me the truth, whatever I ask you, OK?"

Misty's pulse pounded. Ash could feel it.

"Do you love me, Misty?"

Misty jumped back. "Ash, what are you talking about-"

"You heard me. Answer me the truth, right now, Misty, or I'm going with May." Brock and Tracey, listening to this whole scenario, dropped the bag of pork rinds, which scattered on the ground.

Misty looked extremely confused, then a grin spread over her face. "I thought you'd never ask, Ash..."

"Oh, good God, we're gonna have to watch them make out, now, aren't we?" Brock rolled his eyes.

Ash and Misty ignored him. "Y-you're giving May up for me, Ash?" Misty stuttered.

"It depends. Tell me, Misty."

Misty swallowed, her hand still in Ash's. "I love you, Ash!"

"I love you too, Misty."

~

"So when did Ash become such a ladies' man?" Ira gave Ash an evil eye as the fivesome was walking down the road, Ash and Misty holding hands and looking like they were in heaven.

"Well, at least he's away from my sister." Gary looked satisfied.

"Yeah, sure."

Gary grinned at Ira. "I betcha you're glad Crysta didn't fall for him, aren't you, Ira?" Gary elbowed him and whistled. "Yeah, you know you want her, Ira-"

"I wouldn't like Crysta if it were the last thing I did, I TOLD you that, man!"

Gary smirked. "Yeah right."

The two best friends walked down the road as the sun set, making fun of each other, as they tended to do. And as Gary was worried about the Pokémon League and his competition with Ash, Ira was worried about someday going to the Nirvana Islands, and if Crysta would stand in his way.

~

It was a hot, lazy, summer afternoon. Ira, Gary, May, and Crysta were sitting on Professor Oak's lab porch and drinking lemonade. Ira's spiky violet hair now drooped over his ears, and everyone was in a weird mood.

"Damn fly." Crysta swatted at the insect with a paper fan.

"They must like gorgeous girls," Gary teased.

"The sun making you a little horny, Gary?" Ira nudged him.

"Shut up, Ira."

The four kids beat the urge to go down to Bulbasaur's Burger Garden for the eighth time that week, and instead let Professor Oak make them lunch. Pretty scary. They heard a familiar voice ring through the heat waves. "Hey guys! Guys!" 

"It's your loser brother, Ira." Gary rolled his eyes.

Ira made a face. "Ugh. Ivan."

Ivan skipped happily down the road. He waved at his twin brother. "Hey, Ira! I'm going to go get a Pokémon license from Professor Oak!"

"Wonderful!" Ira shouted. "Now you can stay out of my face!"

Ivan pushed his too-heavy glasses up on his nose. "I suppose since I'm 14, it's a little too late to start competing for badges, but I can try, can't I?"

"What's HE on?" Crysta commented as Ivan skipped into the lab.

"Happy pills."

"Ha."

Ira suddenly got an idea. "Hey, you guys, I'm going to start a gym."

"WHAT?" Gary dropped his lemonade glass.

"Yeah. I mean, Pallet Town doesn't have one, and I'm an experienced trainer, and all I have to do is write a letter to the Pokémon League and ask them to accept me." Ira looked pretty proud of himself.

"But there's already a plant-type gym leader. Erika, remember? Leader of the Celadon City gym...she gives out the Rainbow Badge." Gary rolled his eyes. "I hate that chick."

"But maybe I can throw Erika out of the ring, hm?" Ira grinned. "She can kiss her badge goodbye."

"That's a little rash, don't you think, Ira?" May commented.

"Well, maybe I won't throw her out of the ring, but she'll have some competition." Ira rubbed his hands together. "Besides, what else am I supposed to do all summer? Play with my Pokémon? Come on, you guys, they aren't pets. They're profits!"

"That's not all they are," scorned Crysta, patting her Jigglypuff on the head. It blew up its cheeks at Ira.

"Okay, AND they're powerful destructive forces." Ira grinned and Crysta hit him.

"At least Ash is out of our hair," Gary said, changing the subject.

May gave him a look, and then grinned. "Yeah, no kidding. After I was so kindly dumped for the orange-haired scrawny chick, I realized he had no taste." Gary slapped her a high-five. He didn't know that deep inside, May still had something for Ash.

"You're a lot cuter than her, May," Ira said.

"Thanks."

Ira started scribbling on a napkin. "Wuzzat?" Crysta asked, peering over his shoulder.

"None of your business."

Gary snatched it away and started mimicking and pretending to read the scrawled penmanship. "Oh Crysta, my daaarling, you are more beautiful than a golden ray of sunshine!"

"Oh shut up, Gary, that's not what it says." Ira snatched the napkin back. "It's a rough draft, you guys. Of my letter. I'm going to make it as convincing as possible."

"I hope you don't get accepted."

"Shut up, Crysta."

~

Dear President of the Official Pokémon League:

My name is Ira Vyne and I have been training with Pokémon for two and a half years. I specialize in plant type Pokémon, and I live in the small soon-to-be-famous town of Pallet, if you've ever heard of Gary Oak, who is a very good friend of mine. Anyhow, I work for Professor Oak, and he could recommend me as a gym leader. I'd like you to sponsor our gym so that Pallet can become better known for its Pokémon and its trainers.

Sincerely,

Ira Vyne

~

"Sounds good to me." Gary crossed his arms.

"That's only 'cause he mentioned you, Gary." May kicked him.

"Ouch!"

Ira ignored them. "I'm going to start this gym right now."

"What if they don't accept you?" May asked.

"Doesn't matter. Even if they don't accept me, I'm going to let passerby trainers battle me. Remember A.J., the really awesome kid with that sweet Sandshrew? He did the same thing." Ira looked pretty pleased with himself. "And besides, I have to get my Pokémon well-trained for when I travel to the Nirvana Islands someday."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, Ira," said Crysta. "You see, that's been MY dream since I was a very little girl, you should know-"

"Actually, I thought of it first."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Shut up, you guys!" Gary yelled. "I'm not gonna be in Pallet for a lot longer, and I wanna help Ira with his gym. Are you in this, Crysta and May?"

"I am," volunteered May.

Crysta looked skeptical. "I don't want to help you, Ira. From now on, we're rivals."

"Fine. Be that way. Go play with your Jigglypuff or something, little girl." Ira looked upset. 

"I'm not a little girl. I'll start my own gym, it'll be better than yours."

"With what? A Jigglypuff?" Ira laughed. "Ha, Crysta! You think you can start your gym with a Jigglypuff? You don't even have a trainer's license!"

Crysta stormed away. "You'll be sorry, Ira Vyne," she muttered under her breath.

~

"Professor Oak, I need a Pokémon license." 

"Why, hello, Crysta." Professor Oak set down the beaker he was using.

"You think I can be a trainer, don't you, Professor Oak?" Crysta sat down.

"It depends. You have a Jigglypuff, and I have a Squirtle here. But I thought you weren't going to be a trainer...wait a minute, is this a plot to get even with Ira?" Professor Oak laughed.

"Well..."

"You have to come up with a better reason than that to become a trainer, Crysta."

Crysta clenched her fists. Was she really going to say what she was going to? "Professor Oak, for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to go to the Nirvana Islands to discover and study different and new types of Pokémon. If I can become a trainer, and have a Pokémon license, and even become a gym leader, I have a better chance of fulfilling that dream. Won't you help me, Professor?"

Professor Oak thought a while. She sounded sincere enough. "Yes, you may have a license, Crysta. Please fill out these forms first, and show me some identification form of some kind, and I'll get you a license and a Pokédex as soon as possible." He handed her a few empty Pokéballs, and then a well-polished Pokéball that was heavier than the rest. "In this Pokéball is a Squirtle. It isn't well-trained, in fact, it's wild, and Ivan and Lita took the last Charmander and Bulbasaur." Professor Oak rubbed the Pokéball on his lab coat. "I hope you can train it well, Crysta."

"Thank you so much, Professor! You won't be sorry!" Crysta leaped and bounded out of the lab. Professor Oak laughed to himself.

"Those kids...those kids..."

~

Crysta had a plan in mind. She had already written a letter to the official Pokémon League, like Ira had, to start a gym. There was an old Pokémon gym in town, and Gary, May, and Ira were fixing it up. A representative of the Pokémon League would come to Pallet and see who was more certified for the job, Crysta or Ira.

And that's why Crysta had to catch more Pokémon. 

Squirtle and Jigglypuff would do the job. 

Crysta packed her backpack and admired her Squirtle as she hiked down the path leading to ViridIvan forest.

"Hey, Crysta!" 

Crysta sighed. It was the freak.

"Hello, Ivan."

"Are you a Pokémon trainer now or something?" Ivan looked at her suspiciously. Ivan looked almost exactly like Ira, except, well, he was a loser. Ira was...not...there was a difference.

"Yes. Please go away."

"Fine." Ivan started walking down another path. Crysta soon wished she had remembered a map. Ivan was SUCH a loser. She hoped she didn't have to run into him again. Heck, he was almost as bad as Ira.

"Ooh, look, it's a Butterfree, Jigglypuff! Let's catch it!"

"Jiggly!"

"Squirtle, I choose you!" Crysta threw the Pokéball to the ground. Wow, that felt so cool..."Squirtle, um, water gun it!"

"Squuuuirt!" The Squirtle let out a steady gust of water at the Butterfree, who dodged it.

"Damn!" Crysta fumbled her brain for another one of Squirtle's attacks. "I can't remember any more...if only I had that stupid Pokédex...oh, wait! Squirtle, water gun it again!" Squirtle hit the Butterfree this time. "Good." The Butterfree lay weakened on the ground. "Finish it off with a skull bash, Squirtle!" 

"Squirtle!" Squirtle knocked the Butterfree in mid-air, and it fainted on the ground.

"All right! Pokéball, go!" Crysta threw the Pokéball at it, which absorbed the Butterfree in a swirling mass of energy. Crysta picked up the Pokéball.

"All right! I got Butterfree!"

Crysta called it back out to look at it. It was an exceptionally small Butterfree, with a short wingspan. Crysta smiled to herself as she called it back. "This'll be one kick-ass Butterfree, you wait and see, Jigglypuff!"

"Jiggly!"

~

Meanwhile, Ira and the Oak kids were scrubbing the gym floors. "If ...Crysta...thinks...she...can get away...with this...she...CAN'T!" panted Ira.

"Don't worry about it, Ira," said Gary, tearing away old floorboards. "Crysta sucks. She'll never beat you in a battle, especially when the Pokémon League representative guy comes here. Ha, she'd be too nervous to stand up. And with that weak little Jigglypuff-"

"She'll never win a match!" Both boys collapsed into hysterics. "Ha, she thinks she can win!"

May gave them both a nasty look. "Now, come on, guys, I know that Crysta can be annoying sometimes, but first of all, she's our friend."

"She's not mine," Ira replied.

"What is she then?"

"A hated rival."

"Gee. How compassionate." May rolled her eyes. "Now, stop bashing Crysta. We need to get this gym back to normal."

~

"WHAT? You won't fight?" 

"Jiggly!" The balloon Pokémon shook its round head.

"Why not?" Crysta whined.

"Jiggly puff jiggly puff puff!" It blew up its cheeks at its trainer.

"Some help you are." Crysta rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to do this without you, Jigglypuff?"

"Jiggly jiggly jig!" (You've got Squirtle, don't you?)

"Hm."

Jigglypuff then recited some more Pokémon language, which meant, "I'll be your friend, but I won't be treated like a slave."

"Fine then. Be that way. I still have a Squirtle and a Butterfree."

Crysta called out her Butterfree. "Frrrree!" 

"Do you know any attacks, Butterfree?"

"Frreee." The Butterfree shook its little head.

"How 'bout sleep powder? Do you know sleep powder?...Or what about poison powder? And you have to know tackle, come on!" The disdainful Butterfree shook its head. It then tightened its wings and charged at Jigglypuff, knocking it over.

"Good job, Butterfree! That was a good tackle!" Crysta patted the Butterfree on the head.

"Frrrreee?"

"Jigglypuff!" Crysta's Jigglypuff blew up into a balloon. It then released its air and started to sing.

"No, Jigglypuff!" Don't sing!" But Crysta had dropped her Pokéball and Butterfree had dropped its wings. A pink blur spread over Crysta's vision, and it blocked out the sunlight as she dropped to the ground and fell asleep, while her hated rival was working on his gym.

~

"You don't honestly believe Crysta can beat you?" Gary asked Ira as he whitewashed the walls.

"No, I don't. I think all she has is a Weedle by now. Or a Caterpie," Ira laughed. "My Pokémon are so well-trained, not even Ash can beat them. Ha. That almighty little jerk, thinks he's going to be the world's greatest Pokémon master. Hmph." Ira crossed his arms. "And that dumb Jigglypuff wouldn't take orders from Crysta if it was the last thing it did."

"I agree, that Jigglypuff sure is a pain," added May. "Are you almost done with that whitewash, Gary?"

"Almost."

"Hey, I ah, really appreciate what you guys are doing for me," said Ira. "Helping me with the gym and all."

"Don't mention it, bud," said Gary, kicking an empty paint can out of the way. "I'm expecting some profit anyway." Gary laughed. "Once you get rich and famous from going to Nirvana, of course."

"Does this make you a Pokémon watcher?" May asked Ira.

"I don't know. I certainly don't want the same title as that Tracey guy. He gives me the creeps." Ira shuddered.

"I dunno, he looks pretty cute to me," May blushed.

"You think everyone is cute, May," teased Gary.

"Except for you."

"But I'm the cutest!" 

"I know someone who doesn't think so," May commented, looking out the gym window. Gary blushed a deep red. It was a former fan club member of his, Liv, who had quit rooting for Gary once she figured she had a life.

"Do you pay for that fan club of yours, Gary?" Ira asked.

"Um, no..."

"What a liar!" May laughed.

"Wow. It's done." Ira stepped back to look at their gym. The sunlight streamed through the windows, the walls were pure white, and the floor of the gym was pink with the official markings. Ira looked at it in glory. "I'm gonna own this gym," he said to himself.

"Yeah, but you might not get a badge. Don't get your hopes up, bud."

~

"All right, Ira, I'm gonna kick your royal ass!" Crysta stepped into the beautiful gym.

"Don't think you'll be so lucky when the representative gets here, girl," Ira smirked.

"And she is." A voice came from the double doors. It was a girl, of about twenty-five, with long golden hair that was put into braids, and she had a clipboard in her hand and a pen behind her ear. "I am the representative for the Pokémon League. I'm here to test your knowledge in Pokémon, your skill, and your determination to be a gym leader." She looked at Ira. "We were thinking of having another plant Pokémon gym anyway, and this is a nice gym, you kids did a great job."

Ira looked at Crysta and she looked back. Both were nervous out of their minds. Crysta thought she would win, with the Pokémon she had.

"My name is Daniele." The girl tucked her clipboard under her arm and shook both Ira and Crysta's hands. "You will start your match now, three on three."

Gary and May leaned back on the wall, eager to watch the fight. "Oh, Ira will win for sure," Gary whispered to May.

"Don't be so sure of yourself all the time, Gary," May shot back. "Who knows? Maybe Crysta caught some kick-ass Pokémon..."

"Back in Viridian Forest? She's only been there a week. Oh come on, May, you've got to be joking."

May shrugged. "Let's just see."

Ira positioned himself on the right side of the gym and Crysta positioned herself on the left. The skylights

made the sun flood through the floors, and a wind trickled through the doors. Crysta put her hands on her Pokéball. "I choose...Butterfree!"

"Freee!" Butterfree emerged from its Pokéball and fluttered a few feet from the ground.

"OK, then," Ira laughed. "I choose...Weepinbell!"

"Weeep bell." The clumsy looking Pokémon flopped on the floor.

"Butterfree! Tackle attack, now!" Crysta yelled to her Pokémon. The Butterfree rammed the Weepinbell with its wings, sending it flying in the air. Luckily for Ira, the Weepinbell could withstand the attack. It landed right side up, and Ira commanded its razor leaf.

The sharp, short leaves shot out in a sort of whirlwind at the Butterfree, knocking it on its back.

"Freee!" The Butterfree was losing its energy, and flopped to the gym floor.

"Butterfree! Return!" Crysta called back her Pokémon to its Pokéball.

Weepinbell knocked out Crysta's Squirtle with a poison powder, and then razor leaf. But even as the Weepinbell fainted in exhaustion, Ira chuckled to himself as Daniele sat and watched, taking notes. Gary and May watched in interest. Ira, this one'll be easy, Gary thought to himself.

Crysta reached into her pocket and pulled out her last Pokéball and smirked. The one that would win her this match. Ira braced himself, and Gary and May gasped when Crysta threw the ball to the ground, the energy swirling out into...

"Muk! I choose you!"

The large, poisonous blob rolled onto the gym floor with an evil look in its slimy eyes. "Ha ha!" Crysta laughed. "Let's see you win THIS one!"

Ira grimaced. This would be tough. He called Weepinbell back and sent out his Exeggutor. "Exeggutor, hypnotize it!" Ira cried.

"Exegguuutor...Exegguuutor..." The Exeggutor's eyes glared at its opponent, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't effect Muk. Muk slid across the floor and as instructed by Crysta, shot out a wad of nasty goo at the helpless Exeggutor, who fell in a dizzying faint.

"No! Exeggutor! Return!" Ira called back his Pokémon, and then sent out Gloom.

"Gloom, you're my last hope," Ira told the little poison Pokémon. "Spray it with your perfume, Gloom!" 

Gloom's awful stench knocked out Muk...Crysta's last Pokémon.

"No!" Crysta cried. "This can't be happening! I...lost..." Crysta clenched her fists together. "I had a Muk...I was sure I would win..."

Daniele stood up and set her sunglasses on her head. "I've made my decision."

The trainers braced themselves for Daniele's final choice.

"I've decided that Ira and Crysta will run this gym together."

"WHAT?!" Ira and Crysta gasped, and May and Gary didn't hesitate to either.

"That's right," Daniele added. "I want them to run this gym together. Ira, you are extremely skilled with grass type Pokémon, you remind me of Erika, and Crysta, you have raw talent. I noticed that this was your first battle, and you almost won." Crysta beamed with pride. "We will send you notice to when you can open your gym, and we'll send you a case of badges after they've been designed." Daniele tucked her clipboard back under her arm. "Good luck, both of you."

Daniele left the gym and was on her way out of Pallet.

"Well, I guess we have to be partners in this," Ira said, extending his hand for Crysta's to take. "I know we're not the best of friends, but this will work out."

"Yeah, all right." Crysta grabbed Ira's hand and shook it. "Partners."


End file.
